what's with the name?

The real estate industry in the Philippines is booming. We can see more and more buildings being built every year, as compared a decade ago during the Asian Financial Crisis where there was so few. Now, it is a good sign for the economy as towers are sprouting in Philippine soil. More and more investors are putting their money in building condominiums for the urban people of Metro Manila (and other major cities in the country as well). Real estate developers are becomming a household name- Megaworld, Ayala Land, Robinsons Land, Filinvest etc.

But, what's with the name?

Names of almost all new condominiums and buildings are very western. And this bothers me. I mean, there is the Manhattan Garden City in Cubao, One Mckinley Tower at the Fort, Newport City in Pasay, San Francisco Garden Tower in Mandaluyong, Gramsci Residences at the Century City in Makati and so many many others. It is good that there are new condos in the metropolis, but why use such names? My theory... i guess it has something to do with colonial mentality (the usual suspect). People can't go to New York, so might as well built Manhattan in Cubao. Filipinos prefer to live in an elegant foreign sounding name. It's bothersome. What's worst is that we tend to connect elegance and beauty with foreign names, and Filipino sounding names as just mere 2nd place.

Well, I don't suggest we use "super" Filipino words such as Tatlonghari Building or something to that effect. I think there are many Filipino words that can be incorporated as condo names. Maybe like: Datu Residences, Kalayaan Towers, Lakandula Suites or instead of a Manhattan Garden City- Visayas Garden City (and the names of the buildings will be like Cebu, Negros, Boracay, etc. I know the idea sounds weird, but it's possible. I think it would help us as a country if we promote our Filipinoness even in the names of our buildings.

On a general note, I don't really blame the developers or the people living in this condos. I guess that's just how our society works. Sadly true.


NOTE: The author currently lives at the California Garden Square in Mandaluyong, a condominium compound with more than a dozen buildings with names such as Dayton, Carlton, Burbank, Fairfax, etc.